Carlson, a tool and die maker for Stewart & Associates Manufacturing, had crafted miniature music boxes out of wood to give as gifts for neighbors. Left in mailboxes, one of them aroused suspicion.

The Alachua County Sheriff's Office responded by blocking off Parker Road -- Southwest 122nd Street -- and bringing in a robot to disable the object in case it was a bomb.

ASO spokesman Art Forgey noted that the initial call to law enforcement was from a person who said the device appeared to be a music box, but that several neighbors had their mailboxes exploded recently and he was concerned.

Neighbors told deputies that the object was likely a present made by Carlson and praised him for both is friendliness and his skill at machining.

A native of Nisswa, Minn., Carlson has an accent straight out of the movie “Fargo” and a laugh as big as Paul Bunyan. Carlson said he has been making things all of his life. He comes from a family of Swedish immigrants that included lumberjacks and craftsmen.

“I graduated from high school on a Friday and started work on a Monday. I love making stuff. I've never been bored with my job. I've never dreaded going to work,” Carlson said. “I've made parts for the space shuttle. I've made Honeywell parts for commercial jets.”

The machines at Stewart & Associates are computer controlled but Carlson's home machine shop is crowded with hand-operated lathes, milling machines and other equipment -- some of it antique.

Taped to the walls are hand-drawn blueprints for things he makes, including one for the now infamous 2-inch music box.

Carlson also makes parts for the 1969 Mustang he is restoring that he first saw in a Minnesota parking lot as a teenager. The keys were in it and Carlson said he had a passing thought on that snowy day of borrowing it. He didn't, and the owner eventually gave it to him. Carlson christened the Mustang “Karma.”

Another speciality of Carlson's is sugar cane grinders -- he removes and replaces the rusted parts of grinders that date to the late 1800s.

Carlson moved to Gainesville in 1992 after visiting his cousin here, and his house -- shared with dogs Pluto, Goofy and Scooby -- is filled with his work including space satellite and hydroelectric dam parts, old family photos and assorted artifacts.

A year later Carlson started making Christmas gifts for his neighbors. Among them are brass bells, wooden crosses, hourglasses, small storage boxes and decorative pieces with moving metal shapes.

Some of the oak used in the gifts was salvaged by his grandfather from a one-room schoolhouse in Illinois. Some of the wood is from a cherry tree in Micanopy that Carlson cut.

“The first present was in ‘93 and I made 20 of them. Every year it progresses more and more,” Carlson said, adding he is now up to about 70.

“I usually finish them on Christmas day and deliver them. This year I got done almost a week early. I took six music boxes and put them in neighbors' mailboxes. The next day police called me at work and said, “What's with these things you put in neighbors' mailboxes?' ”

Sheriff's spokesman Art Forgey said a man who lives near Carlson called 911 and reported that someone left a music box is his mailbox and two other mailboxes.

The caller said he was worried because some of the neighbors' mailboxes had been damaged recently, Forgey said. He said the Sheriff's Office will err on the side of caution in such situations by restricting access and using bomb equipment.

Carlson left work and by the time he got home, the Sheriff's Office was in full response mode.

Carlson praised the Sheriff's Office, saying that if the objects really had been explosive, they would have been safely dealt with.

Neighbors and co-workers said they look forward to the gifts crafted by Carlson and were saddened that his good gesture caused such a reaction.

“The man was trying to do something good out of his heart and just because it got misconstrued a little bit the government takes it upon themselves to go to the extremes that they did,” said neighbor Timothy Renfroe. “I guess with everything going on nowadays it got blown out of proportion.”

Despite the ordeal, Carlson said he plans to continue making Christmas gifts. He even had a blueprint taped up in his shop.

“I make the stuff to bring joy. The absolute last thing I wanted to do was to create such a horrible thing,” Carlson said. “I have fun with it. I already have a plan for next year. But I think I'll walk right up to their door.”

<p>Curtis Carlson makes a lot of things for his neighbors, but he didn't intend to make trouble for them with the objects he artfully machines out of metals, plastics and wood.</p><p>So when Carlson neared his home off Parker Road a week before Christmas to find roadblocks and a lot of law enforcement, his heart sank.</p><hr />
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<hr /><p>“I saw 100 cops who were not happy with me,” Carlson said. “I felt horrible.”</p><p>Carlson, a tool and die maker for Stewart & Associates Manufacturing, had crafted miniature music boxes out of wood to give as gifts for neighbors. Left in mailboxes, one of them aroused suspicion.</p><p>The Alachua County Sheriff's Office responded by blocking off Parker Road -- Southwest 122nd Street -- and bringing in a robot to disable the object in case it was a bomb.</p><p>ASO spokesman Art Forgey noted that the initial call to law enforcement was from a person who said the device appeared to be a music box, but that several neighbors had their mailboxes exploded recently and he was concerned.</p><p>Neighbors told deputies that the object was likely a present made by Carlson and praised him for both is friendliness and his skill at machining.</p><p>A native of Nisswa, Minn., Carlson has an accent straight out of the movie “Fargo” and a laugh as big as Paul Bunyan. Carlson said he has been making things all of his life. He comes from a family of Swedish immigrants that included lumberjacks and craftsmen.</p><p>“I graduated from high school on a Friday and started work on a Monday. I love making stuff. I've never been bored with my job. I've never dreaded going to work,” Carlson said. “I've made parts for the space shuttle. I've made Honeywell parts for commercial jets.”</p><p>The machines at Stewart & Associates are computer controlled but Carlson's home machine shop is crowded with hand-operated lathes, milling machines and other equipment -- some of it antique.</p><p>Taped to the walls are hand-drawn blueprints for things he makes, including one for the now infamous 2-inch music box.</p><p>Carlson also makes parts for the 1969 Mustang he is restoring that he first saw in a Minnesota parking lot as a teenager. The keys were in it and Carlson said he had a passing thought on that snowy day of borrowing it. He didn't, and the owner eventually gave it to him. Carlson christened the Mustang “Karma.”</p><p>Another speciality of Carlson's is sugar cane grinders -- he removes and replaces the rusted parts of grinders that date to the late 1800s.</p><p>Carlson moved to Gainesville in 1992 after visiting his cousin here, and his house -- shared with dogs Pluto, Goofy and Scooby -- is filled with his work including space satellite and hydroelectric dam parts, old family photos and assorted artifacts.</p><p>A year later Carlson started making Christmas gifts for his neighbors. Among them are brass bells, wooden crosses, hourglasses, small storage boxes and decorative pieces with moving metal shapes.</p><p>Some of the oak used in the gifts was salvaged by his grandfather from a one-room schoolhouse in Illinois. Some of the wood is from a cherry tree in Micanopy that Carlson cut.</p><p>“The first present was in '93 and I made 20 of them. Every year it progresses more and more,” Carlson said, adding he is now up to about 70.</p><p>“I usually finish them on Christmas day and deliver them. This year I got done almost a week early. I took six music boxes and put them in neighbors' mailboxes. The next day police called me at work and said, “What's with these things you put in neighbors' mailboxes?' ”</p><p>Sheriff's spokesman Art Forgey said a man who lives near Carlson called 911 and reported that someone left a music box is his mailbox and two other mailboxes.</p><p>The caller said he was worried because some of the neighbors' mailboxes had been damaged recently, Forgey said. He said the Sheriff's Office will err on the side of caution in such situations by restricting access and using bomb equipment.</p><p>Carlson left work and by the time he got home, the Sheriff's Office was in full response mode.</p><p>Carlson praised the Sheriff's Office, saying that if the objects really had been explosive, they would have been safely dealt with.</p><p>Neighbors and co-workers said they look forward to the gifts crafted by Carlson and were saddened that his good gesture caused such a reaction.</p><p>“The man was trying to do something good out of his heart and just because it got misconstrued a little bit the government takes it upon themselves to go to the extremes that they did,” said neighbor Timothy Renfroe. “I guess with everything going on nowadays it got blown out of proportion.”</p><p>Despite the ordeal, Carlson said he plans to continue making Christmas gifts. He even had a blueprint taped up in his shop.</p><p>“I make the stuff to bring joy. The absolute last thing I wanted to do was to create such a horrible thing,” Carlson said. “I have fun with it. I already have a plan for next year. But I think I'll walk right up to their door.”</p>